Water Activities on Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley
Boaters enjoy Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley not only due to their enormous size, but also because it’s part of the Great Loop, a waterway circling the eastern United States. Whether it be on sailboats, houseboats, cruisers, or wave runners, pleasure boaters are sure to find Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley a wonderful experience.
The surface area of Kentucky Lake is 160,309 acres, or 250.48 square miles. There are 2,064 miles of shoreline. Kentucky Lake stretches 184 miles from Kentucky Dam at Gilbertsville to Pickwick Dam in Tennessee. In 1938, TVA began construction of Kentucky Dam. On August 30, 1944, the dam officially opened. Construction costs were $118 million, or more than $1.7 billion in today’s dollars.
Lake Barkley was created in the 1960s by building Barkley Dam at Grand Rivers on the Cumberland River. Joined with Kentucky Lake by a free-flowing canal in the north, boaters will find it easy to access both lakes. Lake Barkley is 118 miles in length, has 1,004 miles of shoreline and 57,900 acres of water. Construction of Barkley Dam began in 1959 on the Cumberland River and was completed in 1964.
Lighthouse Landing offers boat, boat slips, golf cart and kayak rentals. Call us today, 270-362-8201, to reserve!
